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A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Nightmare for Women
Up until the turn of the century, women have been looked at as the weaker sex in comparison to men. The right to vote wasn’t established until 1920, and previous to that, women were much underrepresented. The farther back in history you go, the more poorly women are treated and portrayed. The Bard himself was no stranger to overlooking the importance and equality of women. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Helena is portrayed as jealous, petty, and pathetic, Hermia as solely an object, and Titania as being gullible.
Helena is depicted as a poor sole that’s jealous of Hermia’s beauty and fawning over Demetrius who will never love her back. When talking to Hermia, Helena rants, “O that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill! O that my prayers could such affection move! None, but your beauty. Would that fault were mine!” (1.1.198-204). Helena is depicted as a pathetic woman wasting her time wishing she were someone else. In addition, she obsesses over Demetrius and says, “And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel, and, Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawn on you. Use me but as your spaniel” (2.1.206-209). Helena begs to be treated poorly, for any bit of attention from Demetrius is better than none at all. Shakespeare portrays women as pathetic and in need of male attention.
Hermia is the beautiful woman who is wanted by both Lysander and Demetrius. She is fought over as if she were an object or prize to win. Demetrius states, “Relent, sweet Hermia; and Lysander, yield Thy crazed title to my certain right” (1.1.93-94). He says how it’s his right to own Hermia, rather than her own choice. Lysander then replies, “My fortunes every way as fairly rank’d, If not with vantage, as Demetrius’s; And, which is more than all these boasts can be, I am belov’d of beauteous Hermia. Why should not I then prosecute my right?” (1.1.103-107). Lysander’s argument to Theseus is that he’s...